U.S. Pat. No. 4,445,939 disclosed a paint stripping and conditioning solution comprising a chlorinated solvent and a liquid alcohol such as benzyl alcohol and a wetting composition which comprises a basic metal ammonium salt of an aromatic sulfonic acid and a non-ionic surface active material. In the preparation of the metal ammonium salt the pH is adjusted to 9.8 with ammonium hydroxide.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,463,735 disclosed an aqueous cleaning composition for glass comprising both a low boiling and high boiling solvent, an alkylarylsulfonate surfactant, an alkali metal polyphosphate and ammonia.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,414,128 disclosed a composition for cleaning hard surfaces comprising a polar solvent such as benzyl alcohol, a terpene solvent, an alkylarylsulfonate surfactant, an additional solvent such as isopropanol and an alkaline material such as ammonium carbonate.
UK Patent Application GB 2 167 083 A disclosed an aqueous no-rinse hard surface cleaning composition containing a surfactant, isopropanol, benzyl alcohol, and a fugative alkaline material such as ammonia.
South African Patent Publication ZA 91/2539 entitled "IMPROVED PROCESS FOR REMOVING COATINGS FROM SENSITIVE SUBSTRATES, AND BLASTING MEDIA USEFUL THEREIN" disclosed abrading paint from aircraft with 100-500 micron water-soluble bicarbonate particles. Sodium bicarbonate is preferred but other alkali metal bicarbonates or ammonium bicarbonate are identified as being useful in combination with hydrophilic silica as the blasting media.
German Patent DD 242 419 A1 disclosed stripping old polyurethane paint from aluminum using methylene chloride, tetrahydonaphthalone, acetic butyl ester and aqueous ammonia. This alkaline formulation was intended to replace corrosive and environmentally polluting formulations containing phenol and formic acid.
German Patent DD 75 002 disclosed stripping paint from iron and non-ferrous metals using mono-chloroacetic acid, adipic acid and ammonium nitrate at temperatures of from 40.degree. to 130.degree. C. This acidic formulation was intended to remove scale and rust as well as paint and primer.
German Patent DE 2 142 103 disclosed stripping nickel, cobalt and copper with an alkaline bath comprising a nitrobenzyl sulfonate sodium salt and a major portion of an ingredient identified incorrectly as ammonium carbonate. Actually "ammonium carbonate" was a mixture of ammonium bicarbonate and ammonium carbamate.
Yet in spite of what was known concerning alkaline paint strippers, it was not previously known nor suggested to use substances other than ammonium nitrate or ammonia and water as activators for alkaline paint strippers.